Can-capping machine



J. F. MRAZEK.x

CAN CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.2,1920.

9 'Z ML Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. F. MRAZEK.

CAN CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED'MARZ, I920.

' Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH F. MRAZEK, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

GAN-CAPJPING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osEPH F. Mnaznk, a citizen of the UnitedStates,.resi d1ng at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn and State ofIowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Capp1ngMachines, of which the following isa specr fication. I 4

This invention relates to the packlng of commodities in paper cans orshells, and the object of the invention is to provide means whereby thebottoms and covers of such packages may be applied automatically bymachinery.

Many commodities, such as oatmeal and other articles of food, are put upfor the market in cylindrical paper cans, closed at the top and bottomby flanged end-covers, the bottom one being usually made fast to thecan, as by gluing. The attachment of y the bottoms, before the cans arefilled, and

of the covers after filling, is hand work,"

and in large factories many employees are required for this work alone,the operation calling for considerable dexterity, as the thin-flangedcovers are made to fit. the cans snugly, and are usually warped out oftrue cylindrical shape before they reach the operator. The machine,which is the sub ect matter of this invention is designed to perform theoperation neatly, rapidly and automatically.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is an elevation of a-machine embodying my 1nvention, as seenfrom the receiving end thereof. Fig. 2 is a central, vertical section ofthe same, as seen from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of theparts below the circuitous section line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. i is a sideelevation illustrating mechanism for gluing the cans preliminary toattaching the bottom-s. Fig. 5 is an enlarged. sectional View of acompound cover-seating device adapted for special functions as will topand bottom, isusually called a paperside ofthe drum to the adjoiningguideribs at the righ t, (Fig. 1). While moving can.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral '5,

' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 25, 1921 Application filedMarch 2, 1920. Serial No. 362,711.

designates a table to which the most of the mechanism is attached. Thisis supported on suitable legs 6, which are provided with bearings 7 forthe main cam-shaft 8. The

width of the table is somewhat less than double the diameter of a cameothat when a can is pushed from the center of the table This has a wideannular flange 11, in the circumferential face of which is a series ofaccurately and equally spaced sockets 12, into which the covers fit verynicely. To facilitate the placing .of the covers the throats of thesockets flare outwardly a little, as shown in Fig. 5. Eight-of these .60SlClGWlSG by another can somewhat more sockets-are shown on-the drumherein illustrated,-the one at the top just receiving a cover, flangeup, the next one in advance being in position for the placing or seatingof the cover, the next two carrying seated covers, though not shown, andthe one at the bottom being in position for the capping of the shelldirectly below it. This leaves three empty sockets at all times, andinto these sockets covers may be thrust by hand,

if desired. Automatic feed mechanism for this purpose will be describedpresently.

The magazine is rotated from space to space intermittently, pausing forthe recep' tion of a cover, the placing of another, and the capping ofthe shell and ejection of its cover from the seat, which differentoperations may all take place simultaneously, or

practically so. The mechanism for this stepby-step rotation is verysimple, and will now be described. a H From the flat face of the drumproject a series of accurately machined ribs 13, a pair for each socket.A shaft 14 journaled in a standard 15 and a lateral projection of one ofthe standards 9, carries at its inner end a crank-wheel 16, and on itscrankwrist is mounted a roller 17 (Fig. 2). As this shaft revolves in.the dlrection indicated by the vertically disposed guide-ribs at thelower ioo arrow (Fig. 1) the roller moves; from the from one to theother through space, the drum is left at rest, and during this intervalthe various operations above noted take place. Continuing its movement,the roller causes the advance of the drum one eighth of a revolution,when the operations are repeated.

The covers are preferably delivered to the magazine automatically, andat the top thereof. On standards 18 is mounted a chute 19 supposed tolead from the capforming machine, not shown. inclined chute the invertedcovers slide to a slight detent 20, which is sufficient to arrest theirdownward movement, but does not prevent their being forced past it, oneby one, as desired. On a rock-shaft 21 is hung an arm 22 provided with apair of fingers 23 hinged thereto by a rule-joint 24. A shorter arm 25attached to the rock-shaft connects by a link 26 with suitable actuatingmechanism to give reciprocating movement to the arm and fingers, so asto suecessively engage and advance the lowermost of the train of covers.Directly over the upper socket of the drum is an opening in the chute,which allows the cover to through into the socket. Thence it is advancedone step to the placer, where it is accurately seated. This operation isperformed by a plunger 27 hung on an arm 28 attached to a rock-shaft 29journaled in the standards 18. The link 26 may connect with this arm, asshown. Another arm 30 connects by a link 31 with a lever 32 hung fromthe main standard 9 at 33. In its movement through space the rollerabove referred to.

a table 37. Over this conveyer, and serv-. 'ing as a stop for the trainof shells, is

a cross-barrier 38, which serves also as a guide for cross-head 39adapted to transfer the most advanced one of theshells from the train toits capping position at the center of the main table, and stoptemporarily the advance of the others. The cross head connects by a link40 with a lever 41 pivoted to a bracket 42, and at its lower end linkedby its strap 43 to an eccentric 44 attached to the shaft 8.

The shell is held accurately in capping position by a pair ofsemi-cylindrical keepers 45. These are attached to suitable slide-rods46 moving in guide-bearings 47. They are held in true vertical positionby attached brackets 48 running on guide-rods 4:59, which areprovidedwith springs 50 to force the keep- Down this drop escapee ersoutwardly. To give inward movement to the keepers the under sides ofthese brackets are formed as racks 51 to engage segmental gears 52mounted on short standards 53, and also engaging vertical rack-bars 54slidably mounted in suitable guides in the main table. The lower ends ofthese rack-bars engage cams 55, whose lifting action forces the keepersto the proper holding position.

\Vhen in capping position the shell rests on a plunger 56 mounted on avertical stem 57 slidable in a guide-bearing 58. The lower end of thisstem engages a cam 59, the lifting action of Which forces the shellupwardly, and its upper end into the cover.

In each socket is'mounted a plunger 60, with a radially extending stem61 with a terminal head 62, between which and the main flang of themagazine is a compression spring 63, In the capping position thisplunger-stem has moved under an arm 64 attached to a rock-shaft 65journaled at 66.

To the rock-shaft is attached another arm lowing the retreating movementof the ejector, the cross-head feeds in a new shell, and the capped canis thrust sidewise to the position indicated by dotted outline in Fig.3, more than half over a conveyer belt 72, by which it is carried away.

The two main shafts of the machine are connected by sprockets 7 3 and 74 and chain 75. The driving pulley 76 is here shown attached to theupper shaft. V

As thus constructed the machine caps shells as neatly and perfectly asis possible by hand, and as rapidly as may be desired. This is possible,even if the shell is perfectly cylindrical, and full size clear to theend, though in fact this is hardly ever true, since the cutting off ofthe shells from the long tubes in ,which they are formed has the effectof slightly reducing their diameter just at the ends.

An offset to this advantage, however, is the tendency of the coverflanges to curl in wardly, as shown in exaggerated degree in Fig. 5. Tocounteract this constriction of the cover flanges, this figureillustrates a special type of placer. This comprises a hollow head 77,bored cylindrical inside to receive a movable plunger 78, held outwardlyby a spring 79. Outwardly the head has a slight taper, corresponding tothe flare in the throat of the socket which receives the cover. Theplunger is small enough to readily enter the cover, which it forces homeby the pressure of the spring. The following head, in the final movementof the placer, enters the flange and spreads it slightly at theincurling edge. Thus ironed out, the cover readily receives the end ofthe shell.

As heretofore mentioned, the bottoms of the cans should preferably bemade fast to the shells. This is commonly done by touching the edge ofthe shell with little glue before the cover is put on. In Fig. 4 isshown a simple device by means of which this operation may be performedautomatically.

Over the conveyor table, on the shell-receiving side, is mounted a gluerof a familiar type, whose glue-roller 80 projects below the level of theglue-pan 81. The glueroller is revolved at a surface speed correspondingto the advance of the conveyer, by pulleys 82 and 83 and a belt 84.Asthe shells pass under the glue-roller their upper edges receix e afilm of glue, to hold the cover firmly in place when the cappingoperation is completed.

To prevent any tendency of the shells, as advanced by the supplyingconveyor, to work out of line sidewise, suitable side barriers 85 areprovided.

The cycle of operations of the machine has already been-sufficientlyindicated to render any further description thereof un necessary. It isto be understood, however, that the holding position of the keepers ismaintained until the shell has been forced inside the cover flange, thefit of the keepers on the shell being close enough to hold it veryaccurately to osition, but not so ti htly as to obstruct its endwisemovement. The long bearing of the keepers on the shell insures a verystraight and true movement of the shell, so that the capping of the samenever misses, and is accomplished without any bending or mutilation ofthe parts.

aving thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a can-capping machine, a rotating magazine provided with a seriesof coverholding sockets, means for imparting intermittent motionthereto, keepers to hold a shell in capping relation to one of saidsockets, means for forcing the shell and cover together, and means forejecting the capped can.

end cover-holding sockets, keepers to hold a shell in capping relationto one of the sockets, means for forcing the shell and cover together,and means for ejecting the capped can.

2. In a can-capping machine, a rotating magazine provided with a seriesof periph-.

i. In a can-capping machine, a vertically rotating magazine providedwith a series of cover-holding sockets, a placer to seat the covers inthe sockets successively, keepers to hold a shell in capping relation toanother socket, and means for'forcing the cover and shell together, andfor ejecting the capped can.

5. In a can-capping machine, a vertically and intermittently-rotatingmagazine pro- 6. In a can-capping machine, a shell-cone veyer to deliverthe shells successively to a position opposite the capping position,across-feed to transfer the end-shell to capping position, reciprocatingkeepers to hold the shell in capping position, an intermittentlyrotating cover-magazine adapted to present covers successively inaccurate capping relation to the shell as so held, and means for forcingthe shells and covers together, and for ejecting the capped cans.

7. In a can-capping machine, and in combination with a movablecover-holding magazine, a placer adapted to seat the covers successivelyin the sockets of the magazine, and to slightly expand the cover flangeat the edge.

8. In a can-capping machine, a magazine provided with a series ofcover-holding sockets, plungers slidably mounted in said sockets,and'ejecting mechanism cooperating with said plungers to eject thecapped cans covers successively toproper capping po'sltion,reciprocating keepers to hold the shell in capping position and to guideit endwise,

and means to force the shell endwise. be

. carrying magazine having a series of equally radial spaced peripheralcover-sockets,

guides coincident with each of the sockets, T

a roller adapted to move between said guides, and a rotating carrier forsaid roller adopted to transfer it from one pair of guides to anadjacent pair and therebyro-' tate the magazine intermittently.

11. In a can-capping machine, a covercarrying magazine having an annularflange with peripheral, cover-holding sockets therein, a spring-heldplunger mounted in each socket, and with a radial, inwardly projectingstem, an intermittently rocking arm in the path of said stems, and meansto recipro-..

cate said am at a predetermined time to ment of theother s until itreturns to initial eject the covers successively. position.

12. In a. camcapping machine, a shell-de- In testimony whereof I aflixmy signature livering conveyer to carry the shells alongin presence oftwo Witnesses.

' 5 side the machine, a barrier to stop the train JOSEPH F. MRAZEK.

of shells at the proper point, and a' cross- Witnesses: feed adapted totransfer the terminal shell JosEPH MRAZEK, to capping position, andarrest the 'move- F. W. ARMSTRONG.

